Gai Eaton: Remembering UK's Eloquent Voice of Islam

In retrospect, it was a little bit peculiar to call his house after his passing. I was hoping to give my condolences to his family – instead, I got a chance to hear his voice one last time. On his answering machine, he still came through as the distinguished gentleman I had always known him to be. With the passing of Charles Le Gai Eaton, also known as Hassan Abdul-Hakeem, the last of a particular generation of remarkable western Muslims left this world – and certainly, he was one of the more influential of them, as attested by the numerous condolence messages from across the spectrum of British society and Anglophones everywhere.

Raised as an agnostic, Eaton received his education at Charterhouse (a renowned school in England), before going to study at Cambridge University. After working for some time as a teacher and journalist in Jamaica and Egypt, he joined the British diplomatic service in 1949. In 1951, he became Muslim, which irrevocably changed his world view, enabling him to become one of the pre-eminent writers on Islam for a British audience in the contemporary age. He was deeply engaged with the challenges facing Britain’s Muslims, and later served them at the Islamic Cultural Centre at Regent’s Park in London with distinction for many years.

Many people in the UK have become Muslims since 1951 – but Eaton made a particular contribution to all English-speaking communities. As a young university student researching Islamic thought, I looked hard for contemporary authors in that area of study, even if they were not religious authorities themselves. Much of what was available at the time, particularly in the English language, was infused with political undertones, and aimed at an activist lifestyle. While the call to action through faith isn’t wrongheaded as such, it has its limitations. Eaton’s works, such as King and the Castle and Islam and the Destiny of Man, were completely different, aiming at reorientating the reader towards a God-centered life, rather than a life aimed at success in this world.

He was empowered by his deep attachment to living a faithful life in the contemporary world, combined with a profound suspicion of what modernity really had to offer in the advancement of the human being. He wrote as a Muslim, but those who read his works were from all faith backgrounds and none. He insisted that he was not a classically trained authority of the Islamic sciences, but he had a unique way with the English language that few writers on Islam could match. His admirers did not always share his philosophical perspectives, but few could deny his profound eloquence and high culture.

As a young student, I met Eaton at an academic conference, and took the opportunity to tell him how impressed and touched I had been by his books. He was so utterly humble – although I was much younger than him, he seemed incredibly embarrassed when I made the very suggestion that his works were of any worth. Recognizing him as one of the last great spiritual writers of his generation, and a reminder of high culture, I kept in touch with him, although it was certainly a one-sided relationship. When I last visited him in his home in Surrey with a friend, he was the epitome of a gentleman – he should never have exerted himself, considering his advanced years, but he nevertheless treated us with the highest hospitality.

My companion was incredibly grateful just for the opportunity to encounter him in the flesh – and that was entirely appropriate. For all those who read him, he was a deeply spiritual author who reminded us how the English idiom ought to be used when speaking of the highest spiritual matters. He was keen to jog our memory as to the importance of correct language, refusing to be swept away by current trends to overuse words like “tolerance” and “terrorism”, both of which he felt were utterly abused and bereft of their proper meaning. In the aftermath of the July 7 bombings, he warned many against curtailing civil liberties in response, and cared little for the fact it was an unpopular position to take.

In his last days, I received a message from a friend who had tended to him in his old age. At that time, Eaton was stable, but appeared as though he was wholly resigned to what he knew was inevitable for every soul. He saw his last days not in despair, but in hope for the mercy of God, displaying for his family and friends an elegant resignation. The Prophet of Islam said: “Death is the only preacher you need” – and Eaton himself was a preacher in the way he lived and the way he died.

His death, as his life, was fortuitous. He died on a Friday, which is noted as a special day in Islam – but he also died on the birthday of the Prophet. Eaton was particularly drawn to the Sufi experience within Islam, and within that experience, the celebration of the birth of the Prophet, as the “mercy to the worlds”, is especially important. That he passed away on that day is not something he would regard as coincidence – for indeed, he loved the Prophet with his heart and soul.

The school Eaton attended in Surrey had a Latin motto: Deo Dante Dedi – “God having given [to me], I gave”. His life is a testament to that adage – he felt so grateful to God, he made it incumbent upon himself to give to others in the books he wrote and the service he provided. With his passing, it truly is an end of an era for Britain.

Charles Le Gai Hassan Abdul-Hakeem Eaton was born in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1921. He passed away in London, England on February 26, 2010.

HA Hellyer is the author of “Muslims of Europe”, a Fellow of the University of Warwick and the director of the Visionary Consultants Group

MAWLID AR-RASUL MUBARIK (IslamUnity.Net)

The shaykh talked about the very famous Ayah in the quran:“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your kindred; the wealth that ye have gained; the commerce in which you fear a decline: or the dwellings in which you delight – are dearer to you than Allah, or His Messenger, or the striving in His cause;- then wait until Allah brings about His punishment: and Allah does not guide the fasiqeen.” [Surah At-Tauba Verse 24]If we are to summarise this religion of Islam, then we can say that it is a religion of love.Allah (subhanahu wa’tala) encourages us through the Quran to love our parents and informs us not to even say ‘uff’ to them [Surah Al Israa].The Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) informs us about love of the family, where he says “The best amongst you is he who is best to his family and I am best to my family”. He (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) also teaches us about loving our daughters, when he says “Fatima is part of me”,(Radiallahu Anhum) ,when they are on his shoulders and he is kissing them and a man comes and says , “Do you love them? I have 10 sons, I don’t kiss any of them.” The Prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) replied “What can I do if Allah has taken away mercy from your heart?”. showing his deep love and affection for her. He also expresses his love for Imam Hassan and HusaynHe also teaches us love for our neighbours, where he says “Gibreel keeps coming to me and keeps saying neighbours, neighbours, as though he is inheriting from the neighbours”.Allah (subhanahu wa’tala) orders us Ihsaan (be good) towards our society by saying in the Quran… “Allah orders you to be just and to do Ihsaan …” We should be positive contributors to society, because our beloved (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) came as a Mercy to the Entire Worlds, therefore we should be an extension of his mercy to the entire creation of Allah.The more you learn about his beautiful qualities (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam), the more hostage you become to his love and his beautiful qualities…Furthermore, the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) also taught us about love of his companions. Loving the family of Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) is also talked about in the Quran where Allah says “Tell them , I am not asking of you any reward in return, expect that you are kind to my offspring”. This is the wasiyah of the beloved, so don’t neglect it. There are Hadith that also emphasize this.The Quran also teaches us to love the mothers of the believers… One should love their mother. The Quran also teaches of love of Allah and his Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) . This is all contrary to the saying of those who say that Islam is a religion of violence and hatred, but in reality, it’s a religion of love and forgiveness. (Subhanahu Wa Ta Alaa)Note that the verse which is the theme of the talk says “That if you do not love Allah and his Prophet more than your family, your parents etc…” you shall await the punishment of Allah. This is actually waajib and fard upon you. Allah finishes the ayah by saying “Allah does not love the Fasiqeen”. Fisq from a Fiqh point of view is a “major sin” not a minor sin…We need to ask ourselves the question “What number on the list of your priorities is the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam)?” If he is not number one , then make him number one!If you have hardships in life, in your marriage, in your work, in your rizk, then take a look at where the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) is in your list of priorities..Allah says in the Quran “whoever avoids my Dhikr , then we will fill their life with difficulties… and in the akhira they will be assembled blind…”“I had my vision in the duniya? “. Allah will say, “Our ayahs came to you , you forgot them, so today you shall be forgotten”. The person shall askDhikr is amongst the name of the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) as Allah says in the Quran “Zikran Rasoolan”…Allah also puts his own name with the name of the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam), in the same verse that we are talking about, therefore, Allah is glorifying the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam). If you put the love of the Prophet second, that’s not good enough, because in a race, the one that comes number two, is the first looser followed by many others.There is usually a sign for everything, similarly, there is a sign for his love. One of the signs for his love is “Shauk (yearning) ” which we will focus on today….When you hear his name (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam), your heart moves, you think about him, you dream about him, he is in your heart, your mind, your thoughts all the time….A poet says “If you are far away in distances to me, you are in my heart, present and with me. Your image is in my head, your dhikr is always on my tongue, your dhikr is in my heart, where will you go?” We need to check our hearts to see if we have the yearning for the beloved (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam).The Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) said “By the one who has the Nafs of Muhammad, there will be a time when one of you will not see me, then one of you will wish that you will give your whole family and everything you own , just to see me” [Sahih Muslim]Lets look at some examples of Shauk, so that we can see the love of the Companions (Radiallahu Anhum) towards the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam).In one of the battle, a woman was waiting, a man came to her and told her “Your husband was next to me in the battle, and he was martyred”… (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) instead and asked “How is he?”Another man came and said to her “I was next to your son and husband, both are marytred”… She asked “How is Rasoolullah? “Another man walked by and told her that her brother is also martyred. She just marched on and looked for the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam), and when she saw him eventually, she said “Every calamity happening to other than you is insignificant”. She asks about the ProphetWhen Bilal (Radiallahu Anhu) was on his death bed and his family was next to him crying saying “how sad will we be when you are gone”. Bilal (Radiallahu Anhu) said “I have been waiting for this day for a long time, tomorrow I will be with Muhammad and his companions”.A man from the Shawk of the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) every night before he went to bed, he repeated all the names of the Sahaba and then said the name of the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam). He then said “Those are my origin, oh Allah my heart falls for them, do not make me leave without seeing them .”Abdullah Bin Zain (Radiallahu Anhu) was told that the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) passed away and he then made Sujood to Allah and said, “The last thing I saw was your Prophet, take my vision away, so I don’t see anyone other than him”… and Allah accepted his dua…If there is no Shawk, then the heart does not move when you hear the name of the beloved sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam, then it’s time for resuscitation of the heart, otherwise it’s a sign of Fisq..Why should we love him ?1) You should love him because he loves you as Allah mentions in the Quran.2) He guided us to the path of success, without him we would be perished. He did not leave a good single thing, but showed us how to do it and he did not leave a single bad thing, but showed us how to avoid it.3) The Prophet recited the verses that Ibrahim (Alaihis Salam) recited and he cried “Oh my lord, my ummah , my ummah”… Allah sent Gibreel to ask him why he was crying after sending his Salams… Allah informed Gibreel “Go and tell Muhammad, that we will give you until you are pleased (Surah Ad-Duhaa) ” . Ask and you will be granted, interced and you will be granted…4) Love him because he would have loved to be with you, he would have loved to meet you… He said “I loved to meet my brothers who believed in me, yet who did not see me”… Allah says in the Quran that he is caring about you more than you care about yourself. He use to say , “If any of the believers who die, and they owed people, tell them to come to me and I will pay them back on their behalf”.5) Loving him in the world has a special effect on the believers. There is a Hadith where a companion asks him about how much time he should spend on making Salah and Salam on him, he said, “Then you will be sufficed from all your hardships in the duniya”.6) He will benefit you on the day of judgement, his love will help you in the Akhira. As he said “those of you who have the closes seats to me on the day of judgement, will be the one who sends the most Salah and Salam on me”.Anas (Radiallahu Anhu) said “Allah is my witness that I love Abu Bakr, Umar, the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam)All the companions present said we have never been so happy about a Hadith, if you do your Faraid and you love the Prophet, you will be with him. We should check our heart and see who we love.7) A Bedouin came and asked the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) when the day of judgement is, he replied “What have you prepared for it?”. This is an important point and should give us the realisation that we should not waste our time on secondary non important issues and focus on preparing for the Akhira. Our priority list is confused, we are giving other things high priority, we indulge in secondary issues, indulging for the sake of argument. Your Qiyamah is when you die… The Bedouin replied, “Nothing, except I love Allah and his Prophet”. The Prophet then replied “You will be with those whom you love” and I pray that Allah assembles me with them..”Ibn Ata’Allah said “The heart is either filled with Haqq or Batil, not both, the love of Quran and love of Shaytaan can not be in the same heart.”The Quran will come as a witness for some, the Masjid will come as a witness for some on the day of judgement. It is natural to feel comfortable at your own house, regardless of where you are, the Awliya of Allah feel most comfortable in the house of Allah, the Masjid..The lecture should enable us to understand the high status of the Prophet (sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam), so that we can remember him day and night, so that his image is in front of us all the time, so his Dhikr is on your tongues and in your hearts all the time…..N.B If you have any questions regarding these notes, please contact the note taker on the e-mail address provided above. All credit and du’as should go to the note taker- I’ve just posted them on this blog in order for people to benefit from them.http://sidramushtaq.wordpress.com/category/ibn-ataallah-al-iskandari/COURTESY:ISLAMUNITY.NET

Over 1,400 years ago the heavens and the earth celebrated the announcement of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They rejoiced in the arrival of the long awaited "Chosen One," who was to be the perfect manifestation of Allah’s mercy on earth and a beacon of light for humanity. He was and still remains the paragon of creation and is without question the greatest blessing and bounty that humanity has received from the Creator.In recognition of this divine blessing, Muslims have celebrated his birth for centuries with reverence and gratitude. These celebrations, also known as Mawlid al-Nabi, vary in form, expression and duration across the many cultures of the Muslim world. In the Indian subcontinent, the Mawlid is celebrated throughout the city squares with melodious singing in praise of the Prophet (peace be upon him) accompanied by food and sweets.In Indonesia, large processions involving hundreds of thousands of believers are held along the country’s main roads as an expression of love for the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Moroccans host large feasts and recite lines of classical poetry in his honor. Similar practices and traditions have developed throughout other parts of the Muslim world further infusing cultures and people with a deep-seated respect and reverence for him. No matter how these celebrations take place, one thing is certain, in celebrating his birth, his legacy and his life the Muslim community at large continues to strengthen its connection to him and thus God.Please join us for a night of inspiration as we continue to carry on this timeless tradition. We look forward to seeing you for an evening filled with poetry, praise and reflections from our dear scholars!

CELEBRATE MERCY-GLOBAL MAWLID un NABI (saws)

CELEBRATE MERCY-GLOBAL MAWLID un NABI (SAWS)Thousands of Muslims Worldwide to Attend Historic Online CelebrationOn Thursday, February 25, the website celebratemercy.com will host a global webcast celebration of the Prophet Muhammad; this first event of its kind has attracted unprecedented attention in the online community. Throughout the Islamic lunar month of Rabia al-Awwal, millions of Muslims worldwide commemorate the Prophet Muhammad, by remembering his life and character. This year, for the first time, an online celebration is being organized to facilitate people everywhere—both those who are Muslim and those who are not—to celebrate his life with prominent world figures, scholars, and performers. Titled “Celebrate Mercy” and hosted by the website celebratemercy.com, the event will feature well-known Muslim speakers and entertainers in both pre-recorded video/audio presentations and live webcam presentations. The program will include short talks, songs, and poetry, all on the subject of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. The program is expected to last three hours, beginning at 9:00 p.m. EST on February 25, with a global re-broadcast on Sunday February 28, at 10:00 a.m. GMT. Presenters at the event will include Yusuf Islam, the former Cat Stevens; Dalia Mogahed, a member of the Advisory Council to President Obama; the President of the Muhammad Ali Center; and several other notable Muslim scholars and artists. Marketing for the event began earlier this month through social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and word of the event quickly spread across the online world. Within one week of the launch of celebratemercy.com, 3400 individuals became “fans” of the event on Facebook, representing over 60 countries, and over 400 people signed up to volunteer. As of this release, the event has garnered 500 paid registrants from 40 countries. Viewing centers are being set up in many communities, including cities in New Zealand, India, UK, Canada, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. The success of the event is a testament to the power of online social networking. In explaining his inspiration for the event, Tarek El-Messidi, founder of celebratemercy.com, stated: “Muslims consider the Prophet Muhammad to be the best of God’s creation. It made me sick to my stomach to think that many in the West associate the name Muhammad with the disgusting actions of some Muslim extremists. When people hear the name Muhammad, mercy should be their first thought; this event will explain why.” The Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca (in modern day Saudi Arabia) in 670 AD. Muslims believe that he was the last in a series of prophets chosen by God, and the teachings revealed to the Prophet Muhammad form the basis of the religion of Islam. Over one billion people worldwide commit to his teachings, and he is thought by many—Muslim and non-Muslim alike—to be one of the most influential people in history. Amjad Tarsin, one of the event coordinators, explained the significance of celebrating the Prophet’s life in today’s world: “[Prophet Muhammad] taught us that forbearance is greater than revenge; forgiveness more lofty than punishment; and compassion more effective than austerity. Above all, he taught us mercy. And in these difficult times, we are all in need of more mercy in the world.”Those who are interested can learn more about the event, including a full list of confirmed and invited presenters, and about the Prophet Muhammad at celebratemercy.com. Registration is currently open and will remain open until 12 PM EST on February 25. The cost for the event is $5.00 per person although those who are not Muslim are granted free guess access at www.celebratemercy.com/guest. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Haitian earthquake relief efforts. Quick Facts: What? Global online celebration of the life of Prophet Muhammad. Why?To facilitate a celebration of the Prophet’s life for people everywhere, with prominent world figures, scholars, and performers. When? Thursday, February 25, 2010, 9:00 p.m. EST. Global re-broadcast on Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:00 a.m. GMT. (Video footage also available upon request)Where?Participants can join the event online by registering at www.celebratemercy.com. Cost of the event is $5.00. Those who are not Muslim are granted free guest access at celebratemercy.com/guest.